[at-l] AT, mud puddles, and football players

[AHuthmaker@aol.com (AHuthmaker@aol.com)]

"Hello Anna and welcome to our campfire......  It isn't required but very 
often new folks will share a little something about themselves..... Again I 
say welcome.  Hopeful"

    Well, let me start be saying .....whew!!!  You people sure can cover lots 
of topics in a day!!  There is a disticnt possibility that I could lose my 
job cause i keep sneaking over to check my e-mail, but it will be totally 
worth it,  cause I am really enjoying all of ya'lls posts!!
    In terms of myself........the AT is my passion.  I have dreamed about it 
trying a thru hike for almost ten years, and after clearing it with my folks, 
(we have a family business so even at the ripe old age of 34, I have to clear 
it with them! :)), I finally set my start date for April 1, 2003.  I am 
fairly overweight, and for years I used that as my excuse to not go for it,  
but after logging over 400 miles walking last spring in every kind of 
territory (training for the Avon 3-Day) I realized that I had what it takes 
to at least try.
    I have done a lot of day hiking, not only in the Southeast, but also in 
Arizona and New Mexico.  I go by a lot of trail names, but the most pervasive 
one, and in all truth, the most honest, is Mud Butt.  Simply put, in the 
middle of the driest desert, if there is one single mud puddle, I will 
somehow end up in it on my butt.  In my hiking, I am famous for being the 
last one on top of the mountain, but for always doing the 'dance of the real 
woman' when I get up there!  It is in this spirit that I hike!!!
    One final thing.....I am working with a trainer who happens to be one of 
the Atlanta Falcons.  I told him that my goal was to hike the AT and that I 
would do anything he told me.  He seemed impressed and we got down to work.  
A couple of weeks later, talking to a friend of mine, the subject of my hike 
came up, and he told her, "I don't really know what the AT is.....I just nod 
and smile every time Anna mentions it.  But I do know that it is a really big 
goal........like, it is a long way, right? ... Like....18 miles?!"  
    All I can say is that you haven't lived until you have had a 300 lb. 
professional football player look you in the eye and say, "How could you do 
that to your body!?!?  You must be insane!!".  LOL!  
    Peace to all of you and thanks for the warm welcome to the list!  Anna